This week:

1
This week

• Regionalism
• Rags-to-Riches

2
Regionalism

• Local color writing
• Regions outside New York City
• New England
• South
• Midwest
• West

3
Regionalism

• North wins Civil War
• Urbanization increases
• Industrialization changes society
• So why does it develop?

4
Regionalism

• Reaction to homogenization process
• Link to past

5
Regionalism - examples

• Brer Rabbit Brer Fox (1882)
• Use of dialect
• Tales of Old Plantation life
• Grandfatherly figure as link to past
• Authentic tales of slaves
• Link to African past
• Animal trickster figures

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Influence on 20th century
7
Influence on 20th century
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Link to blackface minstrelsy

• Travelling show tradition (1830s on)
• White actors dress as blacks
• Imitate black behavior
• Reinforce racist stereotypes
• Jumping Jim Crow

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Stereotypes

• Lazy
• Cowardly
• Unintelligent
• Comical
• Dancer

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20th century versions

• Al Jolson
• One of first talking films

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20th century versions

• Amos Andy
• Radio show (1920-50)
• TV show (1950s)

12
Regionalism

• Kate Chopin
• Louisiana (Cajun country)
• Desirees Baby
• The Awakening

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Regionalism

• Willa Cather
• Midwest
• O Pioneers (1912)
• My Antonia (1918)

14
Regionalism

• Hamlin Garland
• Upper Midwest
• Short stories
• Depicts rugged life on frontier
• Social reform

15
Regionalism

• Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
• New England
• Marries late
• Psychological writer
• Solely local color?

16
Other regionalists

• Mark Twain
• Bret Harte
• Jack London
• Sarah Jewett

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Best-selling author of 19th century?
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Horatio Alger

• Born 1832
• Failed Unitarian minister
• Turned to writing after Civil War
• Rags-to-riches
• Ragged Dick (1866)
• Basic plot never changes

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Rags-to-riches plot

• Poor boy (immigrant) goes to city
• Struggles to survive
• Fails/ suffers set back
• Sticks to virtue (honesty, hard-work)
• Chance encounter
• Succeeds

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Appeal of rags-to-riches

• In Benjamin Franklin tradition
• Urbanization of US
• Virtue of countryside in new environment
• Middle class values
• Role models found in real-life

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Role models

• Andrew Carnegie
• John D. Rockefeller
• Gospel of Wealth
• Advocates philanthropy
• Mild form of social Darwinsim

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Gospel of Wealth

• In bestowing charity, the main consideration
  should be to help those who will help themselves
  to provide part of the means by which those who
  desire to improve may do so to give those who
  desire to rise the aids by which they may rise
  to assist.... Neither the individual nor the race
  is improved by almsgiving. Those worthy of
  assistance... seldom require assistance. The
  really valuable men of the race never do....

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Gospel of Wealth

• The best means of benefiting the community is to
  place within its reach the ladders upon which the
  aspiring can rise parks... by which men are
  helped in body and mind works of art, certain to
  give pleasure and improve the public taste...
  in this manner returning their surplus wealth to
  the mass of their fellows in the form best
  calculated to do them lasting good....

24
Modern Horatio Algers?

• Ross Perot
• Bill Gates
• Hewlett Packard
• Howard Hughes (the Aviator)

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Next week

• E. A. Robinson
• Progressivism
• Palefaces Redskins